This must be record for my blog! It is the latest/earliest (depends on how you look at it) time I’ve written a post. 4:39 am in the morning and I’m not asleep yet! It’s strangely liberating! I would advise you to try it sometime! It’s almost like a journey back to highschool where you really don’t care what’s supposed to happen in the next day. You’re just living for the now!
So there must be a reason why I’m still awake, right? A geeky one too! I have been aware of the great social networking experiment that is 43Things.com, but I never took the plunge. I like the idea of making a list, and I have been searching for something like it, but the features didn’t seem like what I wanted. How wrong I was, after signing up an account, I could not put down the site.
The reason I wanted to make a list of things I want to do in my life is possibliy an introspective quest. I like to write, because I like to find out what I’m really thinking; what I can commit to words. Many times, things just bubble in your mind, but there’s no expression of it.
I had a lot of fun just entering my thoughts on all the various places I have been since 43Places.com is well-integrated into 43Things.com. When I got to Montreal, I was so surprised to see one of the FlickR picture streams to feature my cousin, Susan! It looked like her, but was it her? I clicked on the link and find my cousin Diane’s account on FlickR. Diane (pictured on the right) is extremely artistic, and I have an amazing time just looking at all the pictures she took.
Back to 43Things, and I found Diane’s username. I subscribed to her and even “cheered” her on a few things on her list. Cheering is fun! I do support Diane wholeheartedly in whatever she does or decides. In some ways, I admire and resepct what she’s represented. I also feel she’s most similar to my personality, out of all my cousins, in many regards. And she’s a Beyond fan too! (Editor’s note: ‘Beyond’ is a Hong Kong rock band that has blazed many trails and influence greatly the Chinese rock scene).
Then I got down to committing what I’ve wanted to do in my life. One by one, my ideas materialize on the screen, keystroke after keystroke. I’d re-read the entries that described my goals, to look for spelling or grammatical errors. Re-reading these entries were a chatartic experience. I will be integrating 43Things.com to my website shortly so that it’ll be a permanent fixture. For now, I want to share with you 2 of my goals, my description of them. I’ve chosen these 2 as they are emotionally significant for myself.
You can check the rest of my Things-To-Do list at http://www.43things.com/person/vincechan
Goal: Fall In Love
Entry Title: It Must Have Been Love …Two failed relationships. One of my own choosing, one while I was still too young. But what has kept me from going forward are the relationships that never happened. I know what I want, and I know what I like. I cannot describe it in words. But what you want, what you like, may not want or like you. Could it be fate? I personally don’t subscribe to that; love is what you make of it. But try telling one side of the brain that, while that side stubbornly refuses to listen.
I’m now reminded of my favourite songwriter, Tanya Chua’s lyrics, translated from mandarin. “Everybody yearns for the next time to be true love, but regretably, one day when we remenisce about each other, then we will understand.”
Note: The entry title is an homage to my aunt Fanny’s love affair with Roxette’s song “It Must Have Been Love”
Goal: Raise A Daughter
Entry Title: picked out my daughter’s name and everything!well.. this is a goal I cannot control; except if you tell me to sow a lot of seeds to increase the odds! LOL
I only had a brother growing up, but the majority of my cousins were all female and treated me well. I don’t know if that explains why I would rather have a daughter than the obligatory chinese son. I have one rationale for that, the chinese character for good is made up of 2 characters, girl and boy. And the character for girl comes before the boy. ;P
I have names picked out already. Of course, until the day comes, I am still open to name suggestions. I have 2 choices for chinese names, and 2 choices for english names. I love my daughter to have a name that sounds like a boy’s name.
I don’t mind sharing with you, but my daughter’s english name will tentatively be either Aaliyah or Owen. I hope to find more interesting names to name her. The chinese names would sound either like Chen Li-Yah (beautiful elegant), or Chen Kai-Nan (triumphant boy) in mandarin (literal translations).
Nas once wrote these lyrics, “thinkin a word best describin my life, to name my daughter”. I may not be that good, or that introspective.. but it’s an important goal of mine!
And no, the wife probably won’t have a say in this, she can name the son whatever she likes.. LOL
Now maybe I can go to bed?
“Two failed relationships. One of my own choosing, one while I was still too young.”
Which “one” should I fall into the category? (LOL!) I have tried to contact you on the phone a while ago, you are out of reach as usual. Haven’t heard you a long time, so just gave you a greeting call. I checked out your “true babe” blog, you are still the old you i once knew. “Tanya, Angelina Jolie, Aston Martin(well, not from the true babe site)…” Some of your favourite stuff has become mine as well. That’s our mutual old memories. Anyways, i miss you a lot, i wanna know how u r doing these days. I am sure u have your new circle of friends, but don’t completely forget your old circle(i guess you won’t since u went to the BBQ party with lots of old friends like Tina Chen). So give me an email or a phone call(it’s better talking to the real person). One of your dream places is Hong Kong, do you wanna visit me if possible? I am very sure that i wanna visit u, and lots of old friends.It’s almost 3 years already….